Scottish Executive

Environment

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it is considering for the application of environmental impact assessment procedures to projects intended to make more intensive use of uncultivated land.

Ross Finnie: A range of options have been included in a consultation paper that was issued on 1 June 2001 and which invites responses on what would be the best way forward on implementing the uncultivated land and semi-natural areas provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive.

  Responses to the consultation paper are required by 31 August 2001 and a copy of the paper is available from the Parliament’s reference centre or the Scottish Executive website.

Environment

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12508 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 30 January 2001, whether it is now able to state how work towards future surveys of aggregate working can be progressed.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has commissioned research on the need to review national planning policy guidance for minerals in Scotland. This is considering a number of issues that will be relevant to the collecting, collating and publishing of aggregates data. The findings of the research, which are expected in the autumn, will be considered carefully before deciding on the most effective way forward.

Environment

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12515 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 30 January 2001, whether it is now able to issue a definition of the public interest groups who may be granted rights to act under the European Commission White Paper on Environmental Liability.

Ross Finnie: The Commission issued a working document on 25 July, outlining the principles on which the proposed Directive on environmental liability could be based. This does not refer to "public interest groups", but rather to "qualified entities in the field of environmental protection". These are defined as:

  "Any body or organisation which, according to the criteria, if any, laid down in national law, has an interest in ensuring that significant environmental damage is restored. Bodies and organisations whose purpose, as is shown by the articles of incorporation thereof, is to protect the environment should be deemed to have such an interest".

  The Commission will be consulting on this working document, with a view to bringing forward a proposed Directive on environmental liability, probably in early 2002. I shall be placing a copy of the working document in the Parliament’s reference centre.

Environment

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to publicise whether a beach has been designated as fit for bathing.

Rhona Brankin: The Bathing Waters (Classification) (Scotland) Regulations 1991, following the EC Bathing Waters Directive (76/160/EEC), require the identification of locations where bathing is not prohibited and is traditionally practised by a large number of bathers as bathing waters, for the purposes of the regulations. Exclusion from the list of identified bathing waters does not mean that a stretch of water is unfit for bathing.

  The list of identified bathing waters is given in the report Scottish Bathing Waters issued each year by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. These reports are also available on the agency’s website at:

  http://www.sepa.org.uk/publications/environmental_reports/index.htm#bw

Environment

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to monitor pollution levels at the 52 bathing beaches which have not been designated as fit for bathing.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency monitors over 50 recreational waters which have not been identified as bathing waters. Results of this monitoring are published in the agency’s annual report on Scottish Bathing Waters , available on the agency’s website at:

  http://www.sepa.org.uk/publications/environmental_reports/index.htm#bw

  Up to date information on this year’s monitoring at some of these sites is also available on the agency’s website at http://www.sepa.org.uk/envdata/index.htm.

Environment

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used to assign "designated" status to a beach.

Rhona Brankin: In 1998-99 an independent Bathing Waters Review Panel examined nominations for identification as bathing waters for the purposes of the Bathing Waters (Classification) (Scotland) Regulations 1991. The sole criterion, suggested by the panel, was that members of the public should use the site for bathing in significant numbers. The 37 additional identifications made in 1999 represent all those waters the panel recommended on that basis.

Environment

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used to designate a beach as fit for bathing.

Rhona Brankin: Bathing waters, not beaches, are identified by the Scottish Executive for the purposes of the Bathing Waters (Classification) (Scotland) Regulations 1991. The regulations implement in Scotland the EC Bathing Waters Directive (76/160/EEC). The Directive is intended to apply only at more frequented locations, and exclusion from the list of bathing waters does not, therefore, imply that a location is unfit for bathing. Obviously there will be a strong correlation between locations too little frequented to qualify for identification and excellent water quality.

  For the criterion for identification I refer Ms McLeod to my answer to question S1W-17048.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it received an application for a Freight Facilities Grant from Superfast Ferries in relation to the ferry link from Rosyth to Europe and when a decision will be made on the application.

Sarah Boyack: The application was received on 29 May. Information on the identity of the destination port, which is needed to enable the application to be processed, was received on 22 June.

  Freight Facilities Grant applications are subject to a rigorous assessment process and once this is complete a decision will be made on the application.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it received an application from Forth Ports for a Freight Facilities Grant in relation to the ferry link from Rosyth to Europe and when a decision will be made on the application.

Sarah Boyack: The initial application was received on 9 May. Information on the identity of the destination port, which is needed to enable the application to be processed, was received on 22 June.

  Freight Facilities Grant applications are subject to a rigorous assessment process and once this is complete a decision will be made on the application.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money is available for Freight Facilities Grants in relation to the ferry link from Rosyth to Europe.

Sarah Boyack: The funds available for Freight Facilities Grants over the three-year period from 2001 to 2004 totals £36 million of which £11.5 million is already committed.

Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what process the new Finance and Central Services department will follow in dealing with proposals by ministers for additional budgetary resources.

Angus MacKay: The process will depend on the circumstances and, for example, whether the proposal is made in a regular spending review or as an emergency request for funding from the reserve. In all cases, however, changes to spending plans presented by the Executive will be the subject of Cabinet agreement.

Health

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any measures planned to address the current shortage of qualified occupational therapists.

Susan Deacon: The number of occupational therapists working in NHSScotland has increased by 216 whole-time equivalent (24%) since 1996.

  An additional 61 funded student places for certain Professions Allied to Medicine groups including occupational therapists have been made available by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council from October 2001.

Historic Buildings

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to ensure that detailed management plans are agreed with Historic Scotland in respect of scheduled ancient monuments in privately owned forests.

Allan Wilson: I have asked Graeme Munro, chief executive of Historic Scotland to answer. His response is as follows:

  We have no proposals at this time. Applications to the Forestry Commission’s Woodland Grant Scheme that involve scheduled ancient monuments are subject to consultation with Historic Scotland.

Housing

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12368 by Jackie Baillie on 23 January 2001, whether the working group studying the employment and inclusion implications of housing investment has now reported and, if so, where the report may be obtained, what its recommendations are and what actions will be taken by the Executive on its recommendations.

Jackie Baillie: The housing and employment working group is now completing its report and intends to hold a seminar in September at which the report will be considered.

Meat Industry

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many instances of illegal importation of meat have been reported by local authority food enforcement officers and subsequently upheld in court and what fines were imposed, in each of the past five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information provided by local authorities on prosecutions has not previously identified separately specific action taken on illegal meat importation.

  As a result of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak new arrangements on the sharing of such information between the local authorities, the Food Standards Agency and SEERAD were agreed in April 2001. There have been no such notifications through this new system in Scotland.

Parliamentary Questions

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16402 by Susan Deacon on 3 July 2001, what the ‘administrative oversight’ was which led to the delay until 18 June 2001 in answering question S1W-14344; who was responsible for the oversight, and what procedures have been put in place since then to ensure there is no recurrence.

Susan Deacon: The draft answer was overlooked in the Private Office during the clearing process. A new computer-based PQ tracking system introduced during June should help to minimise the risk of this recurring in future.

Planning

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12745 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 21 February 2001, how MSPs might be made aware of, and enabled to scrutinise, the advice given by the Lord Advocate to Procurators Fiscal in relation to planning enforcement.

Neil Davidson QC: In common with all communications between ministers and their officials, communications between the Lord Advocate and Procurators Fiscal are confidential.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the health centre in HM Prison Kilmarnock has been the subject of an investigation by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting and, if so, what the current status is of any such investigation.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints of staff bullying have been lodged against the management of the health centre at HM Prison Kilmarnock since it opened.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses are qualified to issue prescriptions for methadone at the health centre at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions over the past year methadone has been prescribed by nurses at the health centre in HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are currently employed at the health centre at HM Prison Kilmarnock, how long each staff member has been in post and what the job title is of each staff member.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times have staff in the health centre at HM Prison Kilmarnock refused to treat prisoners, what reasons were given for each refusal and whether prisoners being too violent was cited as a reason in any refusal.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many grievances have been lodged against the management of the health centre at HM Prison Kilmarnock since it opened, what the nature of each grievance has been and what the outcome was in each case.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many days of sick leave have been taken by medical staff in HM Prison Kilmarnock in each of the last two years.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the turnover of medical staff in HM Prison Kilmarnock was in each year since it opened.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints have been lodged about the health centre at HM Prison Kilmarnock since it opened and what the source was of each complaint.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  There has been no such investigation.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people suspected of swallowing a package have been kept in the health centre in HM Prison Kilmarnock for less than four hours since the health centre opened.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Two.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what input nurses have had to the mental health strategy at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The prison’s mental health strategy has been developed with input from experienced nursing professionals as well as the medical officer and consultant psychiatrists.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the current procedures for medical supervision at the health centre at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate current practices for medical supervision of registered mental health nurses at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) sees no need to do so. In his report following an inspection of the prison in March of this year, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons commented: "The medical arrangements at Kilmarnock are being maintained at a high level and we have no major concerns."

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the policies and practices adopted within the health centre at HM Prison Kilmarnock in relation to any downgrading of priority treatment for violent prisoners or prisoners with mental health problems.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Downgrading of treatment has not occurred. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-16644.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many breaches of security there have been in the health centre in HM Prison Kilmarnock in each year since it opened.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  None.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current procedures are at HM Prison Kilmarnock for referrals of those involved in attempted suicides or self-harming and, in particular, whether such cases are automatically referred to the mental health nurse at the prison.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  All cases of attempted suicide or self-harm are referred to a multi-disciplinary team which includes health care staff. These teams may or may not include a mental health nurse.

Rural Affairs

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to grant licences for shooting game in Dumfries and Galloway in 2001-02 and, if so, what conditions will apply.

Ross Finnie: The shooting of game within Dumfries and Galloway will not be subject to any extra licensing system as a result of foot-and-mouth disease. Shooting within the Infected Area is restricted by section 29 of the Foot and Mouth 1983 Order.

  Elsewhere, shooting is allowed, but in order to ensure biosecurity, the Scottish Executive issued guidance on shooting on 4 July and published a code of conduct for grouse shooting on 20 July.

Sign Language

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16332 by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 June 2001, where the 37 fully qualified sign language interpreters in Scotland obtained their qualifications.

Malcolm Chisholm: Sign language interpreters in Scotland obtain their qualifications at Heriot-Watt University.

Tourism

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what roles it sees for Scotland’s historic environment in its strategy for tourism and for Historic Scotland in developing Scotland’s tourism industry.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: The historic environment is recognised in our tourism strategy as an important factor in attracting visitors to Scotland.

  As the largest operator of paid visitor attractions in Scotland, Historic Scotland plays a major role in developing Scotland’s tourism industry. Nearly three million visitors are attracted each year to the historic sites throughout the country which Historic Scotland conserves, manages and presents. The agency will continue to work with others nationally and locally to maintain and develop high quality visitor attractions and to market them around the world.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10474 by Sarah Boyack on 6 November 2000, whether the scoping exercise to identify an appropriate methodology to forecast traffic growth in Scotland has been completed and, if so, whether it has now made a decision on the most appropriate way forward and can give a definitive answer to question S1W-10474.

Sarah Boyack: The work is on-going and the Executive expects to report on progress in the Transport Delivery Plan.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12500 by Sarah Boyack on 30 January 2001, whether the draft Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance has now been issued.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance was issued as a draft consultation document on 30 July 2001. A copy has been placed in the Parliament’s reference centre.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12502 by Sarah Boyack on 30 January 2001, whether it will now publish the estimates provided by local authorities in their statutory road traffic reduction reports.

Sarah Boyack: A summary of the Executive’s response to the local authorities’ statutory road traffic reduction reports will be included in the Transport Delivery Plan for Scotland, to be published in the autumn. The full report will be published as a follow-up document to the plan.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12503 by Sarah Boyack on 30 January 2001, what the outcome was of the three Freight Facilities Grant applications which remained under review at that date.

Sarah Boyack: The three applications concerned remain under consideration.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12504 by Sarah Boyack on 30 January 2001, what the outcome was of the four Freight Facilities Grant applications which were under review at that date.

Sarah Boyack: The four applications remain under review. One of the applicants was given a provisional offer of grant but the applicant subsequently changed the costing involved in the project and the application is being reconsidered. Another of the applications is being processed to a conclusion in conjunction with Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12505 by Sarah Boyack on 30 January 2001, whether, following the receipt of the full business case for the Larkhall to Milngavie rail route project, it is now able to give a definitive answer to question S1W-12505.

Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-14515 given on 9 April 2001.

Victim Support

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether referrals to Victim Support Scotland have fallen as a consequence of the Data Protection Act and, if so, what steps are being taken to ensure that maximum use is made of victim support services.

Mr Jim Wallace: There has been a reduction in referrals in some areas. The Scottish Executive is working to resolve the matter with the Information Commissioner by agreeing a system, which both complies with the Data Protection Act and improves the level of referrals.